Death Defied By Will
by Sushi Chi
Summary: Charlie felt like something was going to go wrong, so why did he still go? [oneshot]


**Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs. I do not own Charlie, Alan, Larry, or Don.  
A/N: Got the idea of this from the song "Death Defied by Will" by Eagle Eye Cherry  
Charlie whumping.

* * *

**

Charlie jumped and watched the chalk dust scatter as his phone rang. He put down the chalk and picked up his phone. "Hello?"

"Charlie." Alan sighed into the phone, "Where are you?"

"CalSci ... Dad? Is something wrong?" He was panicking.

Alan shook his head, then realizing that Charlie couldn't see him answered, "No, Charlie. Nothing. I was just worried about you."

"Uh. Why?"

Alan sighed and smiled. Absent-minded professor, that was for sure. "Charlie. It's 11:30 at night."

Charlie opened his mouth, closed it, and looked at the clock on the wall. "Sorry, dad. I'll be home soon."

"Want me to come and pick you up?"

"No. I want to ride my bike. It's a nice night and there may not be many more of those left with winter coming and everything. I'll be home shortly." Charlie answered, just wanting the thrill of riding his bike at night.

"Alright Charlie. See ya soon."

"See ya pop." Charlie hung up his phone and put a few more things away, looking around the room he nodded, deciding that everything else could wait until tomorrow. On his way out he made sure that he was quiet. His friend Larry had been sleeping in his office the past week, Charlie had offered room and board at his house, but Larry always refused.

Charlie smiled as he took the lock off of his bike and started pedaling.

He looked over his shoulder but didn't see anything. Charlie chewed on his lip, wondering why he suddenly got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He shrugged and started pedaling down the sidewalk. It was not a smooth ride at all. Sure, the sidewalk was smooth as ever, it was the impending doom feeling. Some how Charlie's thoughts went to his mom and how she was now and always just going to be in a casket. Charlie shook his head, causing him to loose a bit of control of his bike as he went into the seemly empty street.

But seemly empty and empty are two different things. As a drunk driver came around the corner, he plowed into a young man on his bike, sending the man flying high in the air. The drunkard hadn't seen the man during or after the hit, so he drove off, thinking nothing of it.

Charlie was having trouble thinking. What had happened? Where was he? Why did he hurt?

He opened his eyes and saw that it was night out, he turned his head and saw his bike all bent out of shape. Charlie blinked at the bike. He had to do something. Move it, it could cause an accident.

He got up, not feeling the pain of his broken arm. He walked over to his bike, not feeling the pain of his broken left leg and the broken knee cap of his right. He had to move the bike, it was unsafe there. He slowly picked it up and put it near a tree.

Charlie almost fell over, the pain was setting in. His mind was clearing more. It was hard to find a place on his body that didn't hurt.

Where was he? He had to get help for him. He fell down next to his bike. He reached into his pocket and found a broken cell phone. He looked around and saw the CalSci parking lot not too far away. There where phones there. There was Larry too. Charlie had settled on a plan for outsmarting the turn of fate that had literally hit him.

He managed to get up, trying to be invincible, trying not to lay down and let the darkness consume him. He slowly made his way to the school.

He had fallen many times, getting up each time, his mind set on finding help. Moving only out of pure will. He dared not look behind him and see all the blood that he was loosing. He only looked at the lights of the school. Only at the stairs that he had to climb.

Stupid stairs. Charlie pushed himself forward, falling down again and again, getting up again and again.

He would win this battle. He would get himself help.

He didn't notice his haggard breathing. He didn't notice the corners of his sight get fuzzy. He didn't notice falling down one last time, in front of Larry's door.

He couldn't bring himself up again. The pain had set in too much. "Larry!" He called out in a weak voice. He had trouble getting his breath.

He would live. He had too. "Larry!" He coughed some blood.

How had he made it to Larry's office? This was Larry's office, right? Charlie looked up and swore. It was his office.

His mind wasn't clear. He forgot that his office had a phone. He pushed himself up again. He willed himself to Larry's office, not thinking that pushing himself to get help could kill him. "Larry!" He yelled, pushing himself along the walls, to Larry's door. "Larry Wake Up! Larry Get Out Here Now!" His yells weren't very loud at all.

The time had come, and he couldn't mess this up. He called one more time, falling one more time. Onto Larry's door with a thud. "Larry!"

* * *

Larry woke up with a start, "Sea Turtles!" He blinked a few times. Something had woken him up. He listened silently. He heard his name one more time with a thump against his door.

Was someone out to get him? Why would they be out to get him?

Wait. Didn't he know that voice? Larry rushed and opened the door, revealing a broken and bloody Charlie Eppes.

"Charles!" He leaned down next to his friend.

"Larry." Charlie smiled, blood running off his chin.

"What happened?"

Charlie tried to shrug, he thought it had went through, but by the look of Larry's face, he hadn't managed to shrug. "Dunno." He said, trying to stay focused on his friend. "It hurts though."

Larry nodded. He could see bone sticking out of Charlie's leg, the other leg was bent funny at the knee, his wrist was at an awkward angle, one collar bone was jutting out more than the other, he had at least one head wound, and he was breathing inconsistently. "You stay right here. I'm going to call 911. I'll be right back." He didn't wait for Charlie's reaction as he ran back into his office and dialed.

Charlie didn't want to move. He was so cold. He couldn't see anything, it was all hazy. "Larry?" He asked worried.

"Charles?"

Charlie thought he felt a hand on his wrists that wasn't hurting as much. It was a joke to try and live, right? He should have known better than to move himself and try to live. "Tell Dad and Don that I love them." he smiled, embracing the darkness.

* * *

_**"Death Defied By Will"  
Eagle Eye Cherry**_

_He only thought he was going for the thrill of a ride  
Wasn't in the play to be gone for long  
But he keeps looking back over his shoulder  
He knows that something might go wrong  
The ride it ain't smooth that is for sure  
Strange mood what is the cure  
He's got that feeling of impending doom  
Like being trapped in a casket inside a tomb  
_

_Death defied by will  
Like a drug that doesn't kill  
Boy you gotta learn what's true  
Death defied by will  
Like a drug that doesn't kill  
The joke is on you  
You ought to know better  
You ought to know better  
_

_He is determined to outsmart this snake  
With conviction he will stand his ground  
Feeling invincible like death itself  
But his immortality won't be found  
What should he say at his own wake  
That he refuses to fulfill his fate  
He doesn't know that this is his last drive  
On the road we call alive  
_

_Death defied by will  
Like a drug that doesn't kill  
Boy you gotta learn what's true  
Death defied by will  
Like a drug that doesn't kill  
The joke is on you  
You ought to know better  
You ought to know better _

Now the time has come  
You can't play around  
And you ought to know  
You ought to know better  
You ought to know better

Death defied by will  
Like a drug that doesn't kill  
Boy you gotta learn what's true  
Death defied by will  
Like a drug that doesn't kill  
The joke is on you  
You ought to know better  
You ought to know better

**A/N: I don't know if there will be a sequel to this ... depends on what you all think ...**


End file.
